And It Don't Stop on Substack
Robert Christgau's newsletter And It Don't Stop
appears three (or four) times a month on Substack. Subscribe
here.
Robert Christgau's Big-Hearted Theory of Pop
Book Reports features reviews of not only the pop-music
tomes you'd predict but also literary fiction, Marxist-adjacent
cultural commentary, feminist debates over pornography, and even books
about the past decade's financial crisis. It follows a collection that
Christgau published last year, Is It Still Good to Ya? Fifty Years
of Rock Criticism, 1967-2017, which includes Christgau's takes on,
among many other things, classic rock, Kanye West, the music of Desert
Storm, Lollapalooza, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and so-called guilty
pleasures--a category that Christgau rejects, since, for rock critics,
as he puts it, "pleasure is where meaning begins." Together, these
collections make the sneaky case that Christgau is not just the Dean
of American Rock Critics, his self-awarded and perhaps slightly
off-putting nickname, but one of America's
sharper public intellectuals of the past half century, and certainly
one of its most influential--not to mention one of the better stylists
in that cohort. Fun is a big part of why.
--David Cantwell, The New Yorker
News
Expert Witness: Old School Alt-Rap's New Dawn 
New in Expert Witness:
- The Perceptionists: Resolution (Mello Music) A-
- Oddisee: The Iceberg (Mello Music) A-
- Murs: Captain California (Strange Music, Inc.) ****
- Brother Ali: All the Beauty in This Whole Life (Rhymesayers Entertainment) **
- Public Enemy: Nothing Is Quick in the Desert (self-released) **
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-07-28] Expert Witness: Blondie and the Mountain Goats 
New in Expert Witness:
- Blondie: Pollinator (BMG) A-
- The Mountain Goats: Goths (Merge) B+
- Peter Perrett: How the West Was Won (Domino) B+
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-07-21] Expert Witness: Jay-Z's '4:44,' Vince Staples 'Big Fish Theory,' and More 
New in Expert Witness:
- Jay-Z: 4:44 (Roc Nation/UMG) A-
- Vince Staples: Big Fish Theory (Def Jam) A-
- Lil Wayne: In Tune We Trust (self-released) *
- Young Thug: Beautiful Thugger Girls (Atlantic) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-07-14] Expert Witness: Lorde, Amber Coffman, and Bleachers 
New in Expert Witness:
- Amber Coffman: City of No Reply (Columbia) A-
- Lorde: Melodrama (Lava/Republic) B+
- Bleachers: Gone Now (RCA) ***
- John Mayer: The Search for Everything (Columbia) **
- Dirty Projectors: Dirty Projectors (Domino) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-07-07] Expert Witness: The Weird Worlds of Emperor X and MF Doom 
New in Expert Witness:
- Emperor X: Oversleepers International (Tiny Engines) A-
- JJ Doom: Key to the Kuffs (Lex) A-
- Emperor X: The Orlando Sentinel (self-released) B+
- JJ Doom: Bookhead EP (Lex) B+
- MF Doom Featuring Big Benn Klingon: Expektoration . . . Live (Gold Dust) **
- Emperor X: Central Hug/Friendarmy/Fractal Dunes (self-released) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-06-30] Expert Witness: 
New in Expert Witness:
- Starlito & Don Trip: Step Brothers Three (Grind Hard LLC) A-
- Kano: Made in the Manor (Parlophone) A-
- Starlito & Don Trip: Step Brothers Two (self-released) ***
- Kano: Method to the Maadness (Bigger Picture) **
- Adamn Killa: I Am Adamn (Homespun Media Group) **
- T-Pain & Lil Wayne: T-Wayne (self-released) **
- Big Boi: Boomiverse (Epic) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-06-23] Expert Witness: Jason Isbell, Steve Earle, and a Flood of New Country 
New in Expert Witness:
- Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit: The Nashville Sound (Southeastern) A
- Steve Earle: So You Wannabe an Outlaw (Warner Bros.) A-
- North Mississippi Allstars: Prayer for Peace (Songs of the South) ***
- Rodney Crowell: Close Ties (New West) ***
- Gurf Morlix: The Soul and the Heal (Rootball) **
- Colvin & Earle: Colvin & Earle (Fantasy) **
- Willie Nelson: God's Problem Child (Legacy) *
Also new by Christgau:
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-06-16] Expert Witness: Thoughts on a Fucked Up Genius: Chuck Berry 
New in Expert Witness:
- Chuck Berry: Chuck (Dualtone) A-
- Chuck Berry: The Definitive Collection (Geffen/Chess) A+
- Low Cut Connie: Dirty Pictures (Part 1) (Contender) ***
- Arkells: Morning Report (Last Gang) **
- Todd Snider: Eastside Bulldog (Aimless/Thirty Tigers) *
The new book, Shake It Up: Great American Writing on Rock and
Pop From Elvis to Jay Z, edited by Jonathan Lethem and Kevin
Dettmar, includes essays by:
- Robert Christgau: Prince
- Carola Dibbell: The Slits Go Native
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-06-09] Expert Witness: Cloud Nothings, The xx, and Japandroids 
New in Expert Witness:
- Cloud Nothings: Life Without Sound (Carpark) A-
- The xx: I See You (Young Turks) B+
- Japandroids: Near to the Wild Heart of Life (Anti-) ***
- Pinegrove: Cardinal (Run for Cover) **
- Los Campesinos!: Sick Scenes (Wichita Recordings) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-06-02] Expert Witness: Wave of American Epics 
New in Expert Witness:
- American Epic: The Soundtrack (Legacy) A
- The Rough Guide to Jug Band Blues (World Music Network) A
- Mahalia Jackson: Moving On Up a Little Higher (Spirit Feel) B+
- The Rough Guide to Gospel Blues (World Music Network) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-05-26] Expert Witness: Thrill-Chasing Daddy Issues and Punky Minimalists Girlpool 
New in Expert Witness:
- Daddy Issues: Can We Still Hang (Infinity Cat) A-
- Daddy Issues: Deep Dream (Infinity Cat) A-
- Girlpool: Powerplant (Anti-) B+
- Hurray for the Riff Raff: Navigator (ATO) ***
- Diet Cig: Swear I'm Good at This (Frenchkiss) **
- I Am the Polish Army: My Old Man (self-released) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-05-19] Expert Witness: Movement and Polyrhythm in Africa 
New in Expert Witness:
- Les Amazones d'Afrique: République Amazone (RealWorld) A-
- Oumou Sangaré: Mogoya (No Format) B+
- Ladysmith Black Mambazo: Walking in the Footsteps of Our Fathers (self-released) ***
- Ibibio Sound Machine: Uyai (Merge) **
Also new:
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-05-12] Expert Witness: Rap's Early 2017 Victory 
New in Expert Witness:
- Kendrick Lamar: Damn. (Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope) A-
- Migos: Culture (QC/YRN/300) A-
- Migos: Y.R.N. 2 (Young Rich Niggas 2) (self-released) ***
- Future: Hendrxx (Epic) **
- Future: Future (Epic) *
Also new:
There's also an interview with Christgau at
Sp!ked Review.
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-05-05] Expert Witness: Brad Paisley Is Anti-War, Anti-Hater, and at His Best 
New in Expert Witness:
- Brad Paisley: Love and War (Arista) A
- Angaleena Presley: Wrangled (Mining Light) A-
- Sarah Shook & the Disarmers: Sidelong (Bloodshot) B+
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-04-28] Expert Witness: Ice T Spits Civil War, Matt North Sings Nashville, and Everyone Else Plays Chuck Berry 
New in Expert Witness:
- Body Count: Bloodlust (Century Media) A-
- Matt North: Above Ground Fools (MattNorth.net) A-
- Rock and Roll Music: The Songs of Chuck Berry (Ace) A-
- Zeal & Ardor: Devil Is Fine (MVKA Music) A-
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-04-21] Expert Witness: American Teens, American Dreams 
New in Expert Witness:
- Khalid: American Teen (RCA) A
- Kevin Abstract: American Boyfriend: A Suburban Love Story (Brockhampton) A-
- Sampha: Process (Young Turks) **
- Kingdom: Tears in the Club (Fade to Mind) *
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-04-14] Expert Witness: The New Pornographers Soar and Conor Oberst Grows Up 
New in Expert Witness:
- The New Pornographers: Whiteout Conditions (Collected Works/Concord) A
- Conor Oberst: Salutations (Nonesuch) A-
- The Shins: Heartworms (Columbia) ***
- Spoon: Hot Thoughts (Matador) ***
- The Old 97's: Graveyard Whistling (ATO) **
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-04-07] Expert Witness: The Western Sahara Isn't Big Enough 
New in Expert Witness:
- Mariem Hassan: La Voz Indómita (Nubenegra) A-
- Orchestra Baobab: Tribute to Ndiouga Dieng (Nonesuch) A-
- Mariem Hassan & Vadiya Mint El Hanevi: Balla Sahara Balla (Nubenegra) B+
- Tinariwen: Elwan (Anti-) **
- Tamikrest: Kidal (Glitterbeat) **
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-03-31] Expert Witness: Stephin Merritt's Exceptional Life and Janet Weiss's Genius 
New in Expert Witness:
- The Magnetic Fields: 50 Song Memoir (Nonesuch) A-
- Craig Finn: We All Want the Same Things (Partisan) B+
- Sleater-Kinney: Live in Paris (Sub Pop) B+
Also new by Robert Christgau:
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-03-24] Expert Witness: Punk Miracles 
New in Expert Witness:
- The Goon Sax: Up for Anything (Chapter Music) A-
- Thurst: Cut to the Chafe (self-released) B+
- Frontier Ruckus: Enter the Kingdom (Sitcom Universe) ***
- Let's Eat Grandma: I, Gemini (PIAS America) ***
- Stef Chura: Messes (Urinal Cake) **
- Priests: Nothing Feels Natural (Sister Polygon) **
- Lithics: Borrowed Floors (Water Wing) *
- Vagabon: Infinite Worlds (Father/Daughter) *
Also new by Robert Christgau:
[posted by Webmaster on 2017-03-17] Most Recent -- More Recent -- More Ancient
More Information
|
RSS